Taras Natyshak MPP, Essex

Local NDP MPPs Disappointed with Wynne’s Response to Flooding in Windsor & Essex County

Published on September 11, 2017

QUEEN’S PARK -- With MPPs returning to Queen’s Park today, Windsor and Essex-area NDP MPPs Lisa Gretzky and Taras Natyshak called on Premier Wynne to immediately assist Windsor and Essex County in the aftermath of severe flooding this summer.

“For the second time in 12 months, area residents have had to recover and rebuild their lives,” stated MPP Natyshak. “The premier tweeted that she’d help. But we’ve really seen nothing. Municipal staff continue to be spread thin, desperately trying to keep up with amount of debris that needs to be cleared.”

Local authorities are seeking assistance from neighbouring communities to help clean-up debris and items damaged by the floods. Last week, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath toured the impacted areas and urged Kathleen Wynne in a letter to expedite permits to allow garbage trucks from Michigan to cross the border to help. With over 200 victims of area floods in 2016 still waiting for their claims to be processed, residents are also concerned that assistance from the Disaster Relief Assistance Program will once again be delayed.

“We know that the clean-up process would be expedited if this Wynne government would stop giving the city the run-around, and allow garbage trucks from Michigan to cross the border in order to help,” stated Gretzky. “We know the premier is preoccupied with her testimony for the bribery scandal but why is she letting this scandal get in the way of assisting people of Windsor Essex in their time of need?”